Hose clamp

Abstract

A clamp member comprises a shaped belt of spring sheet curled in a ring form with a pair of end leaves crossing each other in a circumferential direction of the ring form. One end leaf is bent in a radial direction of the ring form to provide a grip formed with a tip part configured with a top edge extending substantially in an axial direction of the ring form. The other leaf is bent in another radial direction of the ring form to provide another grip formed with a tip part configured with a top edge extending substantially in the axial direction. The top edge of this latter grip has a raised portion raised toward the other grip. A holder holds the two tip parts close together to enlarge the ring form, and comprises a top wall, and a pair of side walls each formed with a stopper to abut on a top end face of an axially extending portion of a corresponding top edge. The raised portion of the grip facilitates removing the holder with the use of a tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hose clamp comprising: a clamp member comprised of a shaped spring sheet curled in a generally ring form with two end leaves crossing each other in a circumferential direction of the ring form,   one of said leaves being bent in a radial direction of the ring form to provide a first grip formed with a first tip part configured with a first top edge extending substantially in an axial direction of the ring form, and   the other said leaf being bent in another radial direction of the ring form to provide a second grip formed with a second tip part configured with a second top edge extending substantially in the axial direction, the second top edge having a raised portion towards the first tip part; and   a holder for selectively holding the first and second tip parts together to have the ring form enlarged, the holder being comprised of a top wall and a pair of side walls formed with stoppers to abut on the first and second top edges of said end leaves.   
     
     
       2. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the raised portion comprises both end parts of the second top edge bent toward the first tip part, and the second tip part has a pair of triangular portions thereof including the both end parts of the second top edge and bent toward the first grip. 
     
     
       3. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the raised portion comprises a pair of round raised parts between both ends of the second top edge, and the second tip part has a pair of axially partial portions thereof including the pair of round raised parts of the second top edge and raised toward the first tip part. 
     
     
       4. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the raised portion comprises a central part of the second top edge raised in a triangular form, and the second tip part has an axially central portion thereof including the central part of the second top edge and raised toward the first tip part. 
     
     
       5. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second top edge is formed with a dent near the raised portion. 
     
     
       6. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first grip has a smaller width in the axial direction that the second grip. 
     
     
       7. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second grip is substantially planar and the raised portion extends away from the plane toward the first grip. 
     
     
       8. A hose clamp comprising: a clamp member as a main body comprised of a clamp ring and   a pair of grips as segments thereof crossing each other; and     a holder as a separate body to be fitted on the pair of grips, in which the holder fits on the pair of grips, as the pair of grips are brought close to each other, having a space defined between an inside of the holder and respective upper end faces of the pair of grips, to hold the clamp ring in a first diameter wherein: the holder has two side walls with inwardly projecting stopper portions provided on the side walls;   the stopper portions are each adapted to abut on an upper end face of a corresponding grip;   one grip has a first width dimension that is smaller than the first width dimension; and   the other grip has at both side edges of an upper tip thereof a pair of raised shoulder parts bent toward the one grip.     
     
     
       9. The hose clamp as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pair of raised shoulder parts are bent from both side edges of the upper tip of the other grip in a generally triangle form having a greater rise at a closer location to an end of the upper tip.   
     
     
       10. A hose clamp comprising: a clamp member as a main body comprised of a clamp ring and   a pair of grips as segments thereof crossing each other; and     a holder as a separate body to be fitted on the pair of grips, in which the holder fits on the pair of grips, as the pair of grips are brought close to each other, having a space defined between an inside of the holder and respective upper end faces of the pair of grips, to hold the clamp ring in a first diameter state wherein: the holder has two side walls and inwardly projecting stopper members provided on the side walls thereof;   the stopper members are each adapted to abut an upper end face of a corresponding grip;   one of the grips has a first width dimension;   the other grip has a second width dimension that is narrower than the first width dimension; and   the other grip has a radially extending raised shoulder part at an upper tip raised toward the one grip.     
     
     
       11. A hose clamp comprising: a clamp member as a main body comprised of a claim ring and   a pair of grips as segments thereof crossing each other, and     a holder as a separate body to be fitted on the pair of grips, in which the holder fits on the pair of grips, as the pair of grips are brought close to each other, having a space defined between an inside of the holder and respective upper end faces of the pair of grips, to hold the clamp ring in a diameter-enlarged state wherein: the holder has two side walls with inwardly projecting stopper portions provided on the side walls;   the stopper portions are each adapted to abut on an upper end face of a corresponding grip; and   one of the grips has an upper tip with a radially extending raised shoulder part raised toward the other grip.     
     
     
       12. The hose clamp of claim 11, wherein the one grip raised shoulder part projects away from a plane containing a substantial portion of the one grip.